Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-11-18

moralizcd state of mind and body, lay
ncsted in the coil Of rope have men,
toned, feeling. even in his deathly
sickness. oh, so ashamed! that Polly, a
Girl. not quite As old as himself. should
show such courage. while he, lubbcr-
y hoy, couldn't even offer to do the
least thing to keep the vessel from 90
iug straight 10 the bottom of the sea.
Bat !, myself. don't think there was
any thing very strange in the matter.
Ii was Tad'S first experience. and seal
sickness, like conscience, makes cow
ards of Us all. The Atlantic Ocean is
a terrible fellow to take the courage
out of Il landsman, when it gets on a
sort Of rampage; and / don't wonder
that aesthetic Mr. O. Wilde. with
his fastidious tastes. should shudder-
ingly declare that he was disappointed
with it. But believe that. in spite of
this severe criticism. the Atlantic goes
right on roaring and dashing, and
swallowing up ships, and making pco-
pie sca-sTck, just as it has been doing
for ever so long.
Tad couldn't be persuaded to go be-
low. He thought that when the vessel
did come to 20 down. he would perhaps
stand better chance Oh deck-though.
it is true, he couldn't swim n stroke.
And as he lay there all night long till
| sunrise, his sickness began to abate 4
little, as did also the stiff westerly
breeze which, coming further from the
south, gave the MARY j." a perfectly
fair wind for her homc-bound passage.
They were all SO kind. when, quite
dizzy and weak, Tad managed to stag
ger to his feet, like a fly thawcd out by
the warm rays of the morning sun,
which dried up the yet deck, and made
the waves of the great blue sea all
about them sparkle with gladness.
George Washington got him some hot
coffee, and said he was glad to see
him "condolesccnt." Captain Flagg,
who looked quite fresh and hearty in
spite of having been up all night,
smiled broadly, telling Tad that he'd
got over the worst of it, and would be-
gin to get his sea-lcgs on in Il jf1y.
Eph grinned at him over the top of the
wheel, and proflered the use of his
jack-knife, if he (Tad) wanted to whit
tie. Polly glanced at him demurcly,
and Bounce Tapped the ends of Tad
extended fingers. On the whole, Tad
didn't feel nearly as badly regarding
his humiliation as he had expected
to; but all his bright visions
of the pleasures of seafaring life
had been swallowed up in the darkness
and terror of the night before. He was
not intended by nature for a sailor, and
now Tad's greatest desire was to set his
foot on dry land again. know that, in
contrast with the average boy of juve-
nile fiction, this sounds tremendously
unheroic, but l can't help it; there are
"born sailors" and born landsmen, and
Tad was one of the latter. One must
take people and things as he finds them
in real life. Yet, as Tad began to feel
and admire all about him. Far away
on the port hand was the distant coast
line, dotted here and there by the white
shaft of lighthouse. To starboard,
the ocean rolled on and on. till its
waters washed the very rim of the
great arching dome of blue which came
down to meet it. On every side were
the sails of passing vessels, and bcauti-
full beyond compare was the sight of n
handsome ship, with all drawing sail
set. standing in for Boston Light, head
ing almost directly for the schooner.
On she came, with her yards bracet
sharp against the back-stays, throwing
the sparkling foam from the cutwater
in great swaths. that swept along her
CLASSY sides and formed creamy track
astern. As the stranger was passing
SO near. Captain Flagg hailed her
through an immense tin speaking trum.
pet.
"What ships that, and where from?''
"Ship 'Sooloo,' hundred and thirty
days from Calcutta-what vessels
thatP" beloved back the Captain, who
was standing by the weather mizzen
rigging. with his hand on a backstay
"Schooner Mary j. of Bixport
twenty-four hours out er Boston,
bawled Captain Flagg, with a gracious
wave of the hand; and Tad, who had
listened to these nautical queries and
replies with great marveling, wondered
what made the Captain of the shir
double himself up, like a man with q
sudden attack of collie, or like person
in an agony Of laughter, as the great
, vessel went plunging onward toward
her destination.
"Them that goes down to the sea in
ships has GURUS experiences, Thad.
,, DEUS" said Captain Flagg, laying down
his big trumpet with an impressive nod
of the head.
With vivid recollection of his own
, experience of the previous night, Tad
replied emphatically that he had nc
doubt Of it.
"When you come to be a sailor,
{ Thaddeus, and, may be, a ship-master,
/ like myself" pursued the Captain,
! feeling mechanically in his pockets fol-
his pipc-which he discovered, mo-
: ment later, to be on the deck, in pos
session of Bounce, who was gravely
dragging it away to the Unreasonable
| delight of Polly-"an' you've gone
, through the responsibilities, an
|, dangers, an typhoons - an things
, gently" he rather hazily concluded,
, as he recovered his pipe from Bounce.
you'll realize that what Solomon SAYS
about truth being stronger'n fiction is
| Jest about as he's put it.
"But I-I-don't think want to be
a sailor" faltered Tad, with downcast
eyes.
"What-not want to be a salyer
bold. and plow the ragin' MAN," ex-
claimed the Captain with look of I'M
utterable amazement.
mo, SIR" family replied Tad. And
as he thus spoke, he hung his head SO
far one side that the big fur cap fell
of, and was Immediately seized by
Bounce, who began to worry it, evil